The Wisconsin Badgers will meet the Montana Grizzlies on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin, the East Region’s No. 3 seed, is heavily favored to triumph. No. 14-seed Montana is ranked 58th in the 68-team March Madness field. Rating metrics agree with that placement, as the Grizzlies sit at just No. 161 in KenPom and No. 174 in ESPN’s BPI — far below even the lowest-ranked teams in the Big Ten Conference.
The significant discrepancy in team profiles between Wisconsin and Montana makes it so that anything other than a decisive Badger victory would be a significant surprise.
While Wisconsin fans may be already looking ahead to a potential second-round matchup against No. 6 BYU or No. 11 VCU, Thursday’s opener still requires a full preview and prediction. With tipoff fast approaching, here is what to expect when the Badgers and Grizzlies take the court in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin vs. Montana Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
Point Spread: Wisconsin minus-17 1/2, Montana plus-17 1/2
Money Line: Wisconsin minus-2500, Montana plus-1050
Wisconsin: No. 13 overall (No. 13 offense, No. 27 defense)
Montana: No. 161 overall (No. 99 offense, No. 251 defense)
ESPN BPI:
Wisconsin: No. 18 overall (16.0) — No. 3 in the Big Ten
Montana: No. 174 overall (-1.2) — No. 3 in the Big Sky
2024-25 Averages:
Wisconsin: 79.7 points per game (45.2% shooting, 34.9% from 3), 70.4 points allowed per game (41.4% shooting allowed, 33% from 3)
Montana: 76.9 points per game (50% shooting, 36% from 3), 72.9 points allowed per game (45.5% shooting allowed, 32.8% from 3)
ESPN Matchup Predictor:
Wisconsin 94.7% chance to win, Montana 5.3%
Wisconsin Key Players
G John Blackwell (15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists on 44.8% shooting)
G Max Klesmit (9.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists on 34.5% shooting)
Wing John Tonje (19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists on 46.2% shooting)
C Steven Crowl (9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists on 53.1% shooting)
F Nolan Winter (9.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists on 56.1% shooting)
G Money Williams (13.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists on 40.2% shooting)
G Malik Moore (12.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists on 45.7% shooting)
G Joe Pridgen (11.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 63.6% shooting)
G Kai Johnson (11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists on 51.2% shooting)
F Te’Jon Sawyer (9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 59% shooting)
Wisconsin vs. Montana prediction, pick
Wisconsin enters Thursday’s game with the advantage on each side of the court. Most notably, the Badgers’ 13-ranked offense (KenPom) will match up with the Grizzlies’ No. 251-ranked defense. After Wisconsin struggled mightily against Michigan on Sunday, it should find significant success scoring the basketball against Montana.
Wisconsin received a poor draw with BYU/VCU waiting in the second round, Alabama in the Sweet 16 and Duke in the Elite Eight. However, its first-round matchup could not have fallen any better. Montana is one of the lowest-ranked No. 14 seeds in recent memory. Wisconsin shouldn’t have any trouble coasting to a win.
Prediction: Wisconsin 87, Montana 62
Wisconsin vs. Montana TV channel, start time, streaming:
Wisconsin vs. Montana will start at 1:30 p.m. ET, 12:30 p.m. CT. It will be carried on TNT and streamed on the TNT app. The game can also be heard on Badger Radio Network.
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